Have you ever seen a panda ride a bicycle? If you braved the bitter cold to take part in the acclaimed Critical Mass cycle trough Jozi’s inner city on 29 August, you probably have.
The World Wide Fund for Nature South Africa (WWF-SA) joined a strong contingent of cyclists for Friday’s ride, raising awareness around its #RideForNature campaign ahead of two major cycling events.
“Flow has been working with WWF South Africa for about a year now, and we’ve done very well together to pull off integrated campaigns around events like World Rhino Day and Earth Hour,” said manager of Flow’s Cape Town office, Roy Barford.
“The aim of #RideForNature is to get cyclists to sign up for the 2014 Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge and the 2015 Cape Argus Pick n Pay Momentum Cycle Tour, riding as WWF South Africa ambassadors.”
Like the official WWF South Africa website explains, many cyclists have a special appreciation for nature, and Ride for Nature gives them a chance to combine their twin passions to create awareness and raise funds for conservation.
“Cycling is not only a healthy sport with low environmental impact, but also a viable form of green transport, making it a natural ally of WWF’s conservation efforts,” reads the website.
As WWF South Africa ambassadors, cyclists will reap a number of benefits, aside from knowing that they are helping to preserve the pristine natural environment they ride through during tours like the Cape Argus.
On Friday, the WWF South Africa panda and the merry entourage of cyclists wearing panda onesies created a lot of hype around the campaign as they cycled through the frigid streets of Jozi.
Cyclist Derek Fray was more than keen to stop for photos on the Nelson Mandela Bridge and pledge his support for the cause.
“This sounds like a great initiative. I usually cycle the 94.7 and Cape Argus, so if I can do it for a good cause, then all the better!”
“The panda suits made a massive impact!” reflected Flow designer George Xafis, who joined me on the night to take some great photos.
Glad to have been a part of #ridefornature @CriticalMassJhb thanks @WWFPandaPeloton from Panda No.3 pic.twitter.com/z2vQfuLbqo
— Brent van Tonder (@BrentVT) August 30, 2014
“Freezing riders stopped on Nelson Mandela bridge, posed with the panda and wanted to find out more about WWF and its brilliant cause. Panda suits are the new thing!”
Roy added, “We will take part in next Tuesday’s Moonlight Mass in Cape Town, so I call on all Mother City cyclists to come along. The ride starts from Green Point Circle at 9pm.”
Click here for more details and registration regarding WWF South Africa’s #RideForNature initiative.
